Proofreading molecules tug on RNA to ensure protein production accuracy

If you imagine a cell as a house, protein production can be a fairly relatable engineering feat. A master blueprint (DNA) holds all the information about what goes where. If you just want to build a door (protein), you only need a copy of that specific portion of the blueprint (messenger RNA, or mRNA). In cells, however, raw mRNA copies contain extra material that is not relevant for the final protein. To remove these superfluous chunks, cells use a process known as splicing, in which raw mRNA is cut up and stitched back together in alternative ways to create the definitive blueprint for a protein.